Learning to deal with annoying people is a must, especially if you have to see them every day. You can’t pretend they don’t exist. Here are some ways to stand your ground without surfacing bad blood.
Call them out
Plain and simple. Are they making snide remarks about well-meaning people? Do they seem to be endlessly talking about themselves? Let them know how their actions or words are affecting others around them. Sometimes, tough love is necessary.
Barter with them
If your annoying person happens to be someone close to you, you don’t necessarily want to shut them down. Instead, suggest some kind of mutual exchange. For example: agree to let them entertain you with their outrageous cat videos on YouTube if they respect your alone time after dinner.
Bottom line is that you have a right to your personal space, and most people will respect that (no matter how annoying they are).
Speak from an “I” perspective
If you’re dying to step away from the offender’s conversation, bring the focus back to yourself so that they don’t feel as though you’re just targeting them. This can be communicated in any of the following ways:
“I’m a bit tired, but can we continue this conversation when I feel more focused?”
“I really need to focus on my project right now, but we can chat at a later time if it’s important.”
Give them a taste of their own medicine
If the annoyer can’t take a hint, you might just have to mimic their behavior for a bit to let them see it for themselves. This method has proven to be quite effective.
Don’t waste your breath on irrational people
It’s one thing to deal with someone who’s just bothering you; it’s another to try to make sense of someone who’s totally unreasonable (it just doesn’t work). You want to spend as little time as possible, if any, with those types of people. Don’t bother stooping to their level.
